On May 7, 2026, GMP+ International announced the introduction of new standards for Feed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The expansion of the proven certification scheme marks an important step toward greater sustainability and transparency in the global feed supply chain – and at the same time introduces new requirements for manufacturers, traders, and processors.

What is Feed LCA?

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire lifecycle – from raw material extraction through processing and transport to use and disposal. For feed, this means a comprehensive assessment of all environmentally relevant factors along the supply chain.

Key aspects of a Feed LCA:

• CO₂ footprint of the raw materials used

• Energy consumption in production and processing

• Water consumption and land use

• Transport routes and logistics

• Packaging and storage

• Emissions and waste generation

Why now?

The feed industry is increasingly in the public spotlight when it comes to sustainability, climate protection, and resource efficiency. Consumers, retailers, and policymakers are demanding greater transparency regarding the environmental impact of animal products – and therefore also of the upstream feed supply chain.

With the new LCA standard, GMP+ International is responding to these growing expectations. At the same time, the scheme creates a uniform framework that companies worldwide can use as a point of reference – an important contribution to harmonizing sustainability assessments across the industry.

What changes in practical terms?

With the new LCA standards, GMP+ International expands the existing certification requirements to include systematic life cycle assessment. Companies along the feed value chain will in future need to:

• Collect and document environmental data for their products

• Apply standardized calculation methods

• Share data with suppliers and customers

• Create transparent sustainability reports

• Establish continuous improvement processes

Benefits for the industry

Although implementation initially requires effort, the new standards offer significant advantages: companies gain a clearer view of their own environmental impact, can optimize more effectively, and position themselves in the market as sustainable partners.

Concrete added value:

• Increased credibility with customers and end consumers

• Better management options for sustainability goals

• Compliance with growing regulatory requirements (e.g. CSRD, EUDR)

• Competitive advantages with sustainability-oriented customers

• Contribution to global climate goals

What Saatenberg says about it

As a GMP+ certified supplier of raw materials for the feed industry, we are closely following this development. Sustainability is nothing new to us – for years, we have been working to make our supply chains more transparent, more resource-efficient, and more collaborative.

With the introduction of the new LCA standards, we primarily see an opportunity: for our customers, this means more reliable data for evaluating their own supply chains – and for the entire industry, an important step toward more sustainable feed production.

Would you like to learn more about our GMP+ certified products and our sustainability standards? Contact us – we look forward to hearing from you.